Organise Aotearoa | |
|---|---|
| Founded | October 2018 launch, with less formal meetings for two years prior |
| Ideology | Revolutionary socialism Marxism Tino rangatiratanga |
| Political position | Far-left |
| Colors | Red, black, white |
| Slogan | For Decolonial Communism |
| Website | |
| organiseaotearoa.nz | |
Organise Aotearoa (founded 2018) is aNew Zealandsocialist organisation who describes itself as a movement "for decolonial communism". The organisation has an extra-parliamentary focus, and a membership composed of variousprison-abolitionist,anti-imperialist andanti-poverty activists.[1]
Shortly after its launch, the organisation engaged in a series ofdirect action campaigns, including joining the blockade of New Zealand Defence Industry Association forums,[2] occupying theBrazilian embassy after the inauguration ofJair Bolsonaro,[3] occupying theUnited States consulate in Auckland during the2019 Venezuelan coup d'état attempt, and joining the occupation ofIhumātao. The group has also organised broader mobilisations such as the 2018 protests agitating forabortion reform.[4]
Organise Aotearoa describes itself as "a new movement for liberation and socialism".[5] In a statement of principles released on 1 October 2018, the organisation's policies were stated to be:
Organise Aotearoa was first formed aroundSue Bradford'sEconomic and Social Research Aotearoa (ESRA) think tank in 2016[7][8] and later expanded to include activists fromPeople Against Prisons Aotearoa (PAPA), thePeace Action Movement andAuckland Action Against Poverty. The organisation also includedMarxist-Leninists at the time of its public announcement.[1] As of October 2019, the organisation claimed to have over 140 active members with branches inAuckland,Wellington,Hamilton andDunedin.[9]
Organise Aotearoa has received media coverage inNew Zealand andBrazil for theirdirect action interventions on several issues. Most notable among these was the occupation of the Brazilian embassy inWellington to protest the inauguration of thefar-right presidentJair Bolsonaro. Occupiers displayed the slogan "No relations with fascist nations," and news of the occupation was widely shared by both left-wing and right-wing Brazilian media, includingCarlos Bolsonaro, eventually going viral across the country.[10] The subsequent backlash from the Brazilian right resulted in "thousands of homophobic insults, death threats, and rape threats [that were] sent to OA's supporters and members."[3]
The group blockaded the New Zealand Defence Industry Association forum, or "Weapons Expo", in conjunction with thePeace Action Movement andPalmerston North locals.[2] The 2018 blockade was considered successful by organisers,[11] and resulted in arms industry delegates failing to attend the forum, as well as several arrests.[12]
In February 2019, the organisation occupied the US Auckland consulate,[13] and as of June 2019, has members involved in the indigenous land occupation atIhumātao.
